October 16, 1944 Monday

Somewhere in England

Dearest Honey,

Makes me feel a little like a school boy to use this paper, but it is all I have at present. It is a gift of the Red Cross—in that packet I told you of—given to us on the boat.

By the way, let me orient you on the Red Cross activity here. It is extremely good. Remember, in the last war, they said that the Salvation Army did most of the real work with the soldiers while the Red Cross took the credit. That is not true now. The Red Cross is very active with us. They have met us with refreshments and clubs at every station and town we have been in. Today they had a big club-mobile down at the rifle range. They served coffee and donuts to men who were waiting to go on the firing line. That was better than in the States, even. I shall support the Red Cross when we are living a normal life.

Tonite I have a rather interesting method of lighting. I told you that they took our electric lights away. To meet the emergency, we got some candles. By standing one up on the upper left hand corner of my clip board, I can sit on my foot locker and write on my clip board and have the finest light you can imagine on my paper. Just the right angle, and the candle serves as a perfect pipe lighter, always handy. My feet are to the fire and warm. Maybe you don’t know how our tent is arranged. That [drawing] is the general idea.

Buk and Young are in London on pass. Lt. Fairbairn goes tomorrow. Oley and I will have the company. Oley is O.D. tomorrow, so that leaves me company commander for the day! Such a life—responsibilities do come, however, even to the un-ambitious. And as far as the army goes, I am unambitious. I have enough rank to avoid odious things like K.P., and not enough generally to be too damned responsible.

Nite, honey, the candle is burning low. I love you as always.

All yours,
Wallace